Hewlett-Packard Plans to Turn WebOS Into Open-Source Project
22.05.12
(Updates with CEO’s comment in fourth paragraph.)
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Hewlett-Packard Co. will turn its WebOS software into an open-source project, aiming to get outside developers to embrace the struggling operating system it acquired in last year’s $1.2 billion purchase of Palm Inc.
WebOS will be offered under an open-source license, meaning developers and hardware manufacturers can tinker with it and bring their own versions to market, the Palo Alto, California- based company said today in a statement. Hewlett-Packard said it will remain active in developing and supporting WebOS.
The company has deliberated what to do with WebOS since August, when it announced plans to stop producing hardware that used the operating system, including Palm Pre phones and the TouchPad tablet. While WebOS was praised for its innovation when it debuted in 2009, Palm and then Hewlett-Packard both had trouble using it to gain market share in mobile devices.
Source: BusinessWeek